RESIDENTS vowed to fight on after their hopes for regeneration of their street were dashed.

For four years the Treborth Road Area Residents Association in Blacon have been campaigning for the demolition of 15 blocks of flats.

The project was to go ahead, but Chester and District Housing Trust postponed plans after a Housing Corporation grant fell through.

Liz Kent, the chairwoman of the association said: 'We have worked so hard on this and everybody in the area wanted it to go ahead. It wasn't the trust's fault, they are just as disappointed as we are. We have lost this battle, but the war is not over.'

Flats in Dinas Close, Treborth Road, Penmon Close and Tregele Close were to be demolished this year and replaced with houses.

The new homes would include bungalows for the elderly, two and three bedroom houses and low cost houses for first time buyers.

'For years we had a lot of unsavoury people living in the flats, including drug dealers,' said Mrs Kent. 'They have all left now and the trust has let the flats stand empty.'

In preparation for the work, many people have been moved out and given alternative accommodation. Planning permission approval for the proposed redevelopment in the Treborth Road area in Blacon was agreed last week.

Although the Trust has secured £3.5m for the scheme, additional funding is needed.

It had been anticipated that grant funding of about 40% of the scheme costs would be available from the Housing Corporation.

David Rooke, director of operations, said: 'The trust is still committed to regenerating the area.'